Acharya Balkrishna: The Man behind Patanjali's Phenomenal Rise

BENGALURU: We are all familiar with Baba Ramdev, but the man behind the stratospheric rise of Patanjali is Acharya Balkrishna, who is very much the opposite of any traditional CEO.  His management style is very different from his contemporaries and though he uses an iPhone, his workplace is very different from others. Attired in a traditional white kurta and dhoti, he prefers to lead a low profile life and speaks mostly in pure Hindi.

A close confidant of Baba Ramdev, Balkrishna owns nearly 94 percent stake in Patanjali and doesn’t take home a salary. He works for nearly 15 hours a day and he claims that he hasn’t taken a single day’s leave either.  According to Balkrishna, it is this hard work that has paid off and Patanjali Ayurved has become a 5000-crore business in such a short span of time.

Unlike other companies in FMCG, Patanjali Ayurved's marketing strategies are also very different. While other companies do market research before the launch of any product, Patanjali has gone ahead with the launch of many products simultaneously.

According to Balkrishna, Patanjali’s success has changed the general perception that Indian products are inferior to western products. The company is now aiming to achieve 10,000 crore turnovers in the current fiscal. Balkrishna seems to have come out of the shadows of 2011, when a case of cheating was filed against him. He was given a clean chit two years ago, and since then it has all been about the phenomenal rise of Patanjali.

The work culture at Patanjali is unique. Everyone here is greeted with an 'Om'. There are restrictions on eating meat, smoking and drinking here.  

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